Marco Mendicino, Member of Parliament for Eglinton-Lawrence, on behalf of the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Annalise Czerny, Executive Vice-President of PRESTO, and His Worship, Mayor John Tory, will be making an announcement about Bike Share Toronto.

City Successfully Rugee/Asylum Claimants from Temporary Housing at Ttwo College Dormitories

August 9, 2018

City successfully relocates refugee/asylum claimants from temporary housing at two college dormitories

The City of Toronto has relocated all refugee/asylum claimants temporarily housed in the Centennial College and Humber College dormitories to hotels in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and into permanent housing.

"The City of Toronto has worked diligently and compassionately to accommodate the ongoing arrival of refugee and asylum seekers," said Mayor John Tory. "With the partnership of other levels of government and surrounding municipalities, we have been able to relocate the dormitory population. However, the City continues to face great pressure on our shelter system that requires long-term action and partnership.”

The Centennial College and Humber College dormitories opened as temporary shelters in May as part of a contingency plan for Emergency Social Services as the City’s existing hotel/motel program for refugee/asylum claimants reached capacity. At its peak, about 675 people resided in the two college dormitory programs. The dormitories were available until August 9, when students begin returning for the academic year. With support from other levels of government, municipalities and community agencies, alternative accommodations were found for those living in the dormitories.

The City would like to thank the Government of Canada for providing an initial $11 million to help offset the projected $64.5 million in costs associated with the arrivals of refugee/asylum claimants and for arranging and funding hotel accommodation within the GTA as part of efforts to relocate the dormitory population. The City would also like to thank the Government of Ontario for committing up to $3 million in Red Cross staffing costs as part of the anticipated $6.3 million total cost of operating the college dormitory sites. The City would also like to recognize the Red Cross and COSTI for site management and Centennial College and Humber College. The City is also grateful for the work of its community partners in providing information and referral services and fellow GTA municipalities who have taken in many refugee/asylum claimants.

Since November 2016, the City has served a total of 5482 refugee/asylum claimants in the shelter system and has successfully found permanent housing for 2900 during that time period. As of August 8, the total number of refugees in the City's shelter system is 2880, or 42 per cent of all shelter users. This has increased from 11 per cent in early 2016.

The City of Toronto continues to face extreme challenges accommodating new arrivals of refugees and asylum claimants, including 185 arrivals over the lastseven days.

The City has requested that the federal and provincial governments take action to manage the inter-provincial flow of irregular migrants and coordinate the placement of new arrivals to locations outside of the City of Toronto’s shelter system. The City eagerly awaits the September opening of a triage centre in Cornwall, Ontario as promised by the Government of Canada.

The City is committed to continue its work with other orders of government,including municipalities, as well as community partners to find appropriate shelter, accommodation and supports for all those who need it.

The City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission's Work to eplace Streetcar Tracks

August 9, 2018

Streetcar track replacement at intersection of Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street East to finish ahead of schedule on Sunday

The City of Toronto and Toronto Transit Commission's work to replace streetcar tracks at the intersection of Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street East will be completed and the intersection reopened at 7 a.m. on Sunday, August 12, four weeks ahead of schedule.

"The early completion of this project is great news for the city this weekend," said Mayor John Tory. "Not only was this work critical to improve and rehabilitate aging streetcar track infrastructure, it was also done in a way that minimized the disruption to the public and accelerated the work schedule to complete the project weeks ahead of what was planned." The 504 King, 505 Dundas and 506 Carlton replacement bus service will return to regular routing through the intersection. Streetcars return to the 504 King and 506 Carlton routes on September 2. More information about TTC service is available at http://www.ttc.ca.

This project began on June 25 with the full intersection closure at Broadview Avenue and Dundas Street East. Crews worked 24/7 at an accelerated schedule, which enabled the reopening of the intersection for east-west travel on July 9 to minimize traffic disruption to the area.

The second phase of this construction project on Broadview Avenue, between Dundas Street East and Gerrard Street East, began on July 9. Only northbound traffic was permitted on Broadview Avenue.

The third phase of the project began on July 24 and fully closed the intersection at Broadview Avenue and Gerrard Street East. Due to favourable conditions, crews were able to complete the track replacement and repair work within a shorter timeframe than previously expected.

"Construction work on major intersections can complicate travel for road users and this is why I am pleased by the success of the City's co-ordinated and planned approach on this project," said Councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chair of the City's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "I am happy to report that this is the second major project to be finished early in this construction season, including the track replacement work at Parliament Street and Gerrard Street East."

This project is part of the City's comprehensive, co-ordinated strategy to reduce disruption to the public while rehabilitating and further improving Toronto's roads, transit and underground infrastructure for current and future needs.This year, the City will invest more than $720 million to maintain and upgrade its infrastructure, including an estimated $360 million on roads, expressways and bridges, $300 million on sewers and watermains, and $60 million on basement flooding protection.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to use the City's web-based map, http://www.toronto.ca/roadrestrictions, to help plan their travel and avoid other road closures. More information about the City's planned capital construction work is available at http://www.toronto.ca/inview.

This news release is also available on the City's website: https://bit.ly/2vRcT5B

Council Highlights is an informal summary of some of the decisions Toronto City Council made at its recent business meeting. The City Clerk's formal documentation is available at http://www.toronto.ca/council.

Response to proposed reduction of Council's size Council voted to convey its opposition to the Ontario government's stated intention to legislate a reduction in the size of Toronto City Council and supported various motions, including to ask the province to conduct a binding referendum on the number and boundaries of Toronto's wards before proceeding with any such legislation. It was decided that if the provincial government does not conduct the referendum, Council will seek permission for the City to include a question about wards and councillors on Toronto's 2018 election ballot. The City Solicitor was asked to prepare an options report and be ready provide advice to Council at a special meeting to be held August 20.

Actions addressing gun violence Council adopted a report with recommendations to address Toronto's problem with gun violence, specifying actions by the City and requesting other orders of government to help address the problem of gun violence in Toronto. The report's recommendations include expanding current City and Toronto Police Service initiatives for youth and undertaking other initiatives such as policing technology known as ShotSpotter. Increased funding for several specified programs received Council's authorization.

Seizure of illegal guns A motion that Council adopted will result in a request for the Toronto Police Services Board, the Ontario Provincial Police and the Province of Ontario each to adopt and implement a seize-and-destroy procedure for disposing of illegal guns and ammunition seized and confiscated by law-enforcement agencies.

Safety inspections – City buildings Council approved a series of recommendations to ensure that City buildings are in compliance with fire code regulations and to ensure that inspections are carried out by qualified, reputable contractors. The action follows an investigation by the City's Auditor General.

Construction of affordable housing Council approved City funding and financial incentives for 893 affordable rental homes across the city to support the provision of affordable housing through the Open Door Program. An additional 422 mid-range rental homes were approved through the provincial Development Charges Rebate Program. Council also agreed to review the definition of "affordability" under the Official Plan.

Construction staging Council adopted a motion calling for the City to consult with the development industry on eliminating its practice of occupying the public right-of-way for construction purposes. In addition, staff were asked to report on possibly requiring developers to provide construction plans with their rezoning applications to demonstrate they can build what they are proposing without negatively affecting the community. Use of traffic lanes to stage construction causes traffic bottlenecks and can create unsafe conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.

Disturbing images in public places Council agreed to ask staff to review and enforce current City bylaws designed to protect members of the public from harm, including provisions for keeping streets and sidewalks unobstructed. The motion that Council adopted came in response to public complaints about a group displaying large posters with "extremely graphic, disturbing" images that children and other captive audiences are confronted with when using the sidewalks where the posters are displayed.

Dust from residential construction Council supported establishing a bylaw aimed at minimizing dust from the construction of residential properties, with fines for non-compliance. The bylaw identifies various procedures and technologies that can be used to minimize dust. Residential properties for the purpose of this bylaw do not include multi-residential buildings.

Midtown in Focus Council adopted the final Midtown in Focus report as a comprehensive new planning framework for the Yonge-Eglinton area in Midtown Toronto, with related amendments to the Official Plan and a new Yonge-Eglinton Secondary Plan. Midtown in Focus provides policy direction for ensuring that the area develops as a complete, diverse community. Council also endorsed a related plan for parks/public realm and a strategy for community services/facilities.

Changes to development incentive program Council approved a new city-wide Community Improvement Plan that implements changes to the Imagination, Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology incentive program. The program, introduced in 2008, provides tax incentives to encourage the renovation or construction of buildings in targeted employment sectors and fosters brownfield remediation by way of development grants or property-tax cancellation.

Appointment of chief financial officer Council approved the appointment of Heather Taylor as the City's new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). She will assume the role on September 4, joining the three Deputy City Managers who work closely with the City Manager. The CFO is responsible for setting the City's overall strategic and financial direction by establishing objectives aligned with Council's priorities.

Phasing out plastic straws Council supported calling for the establishment of a City policy restricting the use of plastic straws in Toronto as part of a broader effort addressing single-use products/packaging and blue-box contamination. The Solid Waste Management Services division was asked to accelerate its planning for the reduced use of single-use or "takeaway" packaging and products, and to undertake public/stakeholder consultation this fall for a report in early 2019.

Organic waste processing Council authorized staff to negotiate and enter into agreements necessary to operate, maintain or make capital improvements to the Disco Road organics processing facility so the City can continue using it to process source-separated organics in the years ahead. Council also supported taking steps at the appropriate time to assess potentially having City staff operate the facility rather than using external, contracted services. Solid Waste Management Services expects to collect about 170,600 tonnes of organic waste this year.

Promotion of community ice skating Council agreed to direct staff, working with local councillors, to implement pilot skate-exchange events before the coming outdoor skating season. Priority will be given to holding such events in neighbourhood improvement areas. In addition, Council asked Parks, Forestry and Recreation to formalize a skate-lending program based on a program piloted last winter, with community groups across the city to provide skate-lending this winter using equipment provided by the City.

Honouring Pam McConnell Council approved naming the City's aquatic centre in Regent Park in honour of the late Deputy Mayor Pam McConnell, making it the Pam McConnell Aquatic Centre. July was the one-year anniversary of the passing of Deputy Mayor McConnell. As a downtown councillor, she championed the revitalization of Regent Park and led the process to build community supports, including construction of the aquatic facility.

Honouring Dudley Laws Council supporting consulting with the family of Dudley Laws and the Black Action Defense Committee to identify naming opportunities to officially recognize the late Dudley Laws for his important contributions to Toronto. Laws, a community activist and champion for social justice, founded the Black Action Defense Committee and was a central figure in changing the way Ontario investigates its police services. He died in 2011 at age 76.

Gender equity strategy Council adopted a motion calling for the City to work on a gender equity strategy and on establishing a gender equity office at the City. Staff have been directed to report to the Executive Committee on specifics in early 2019. The overall goal is to ensure that the voices and experiences of women and girls are recognized in the City's decision-making.

Toronto's long-term care homes Council voted to ask the Long-Term Care Homes and Services division to provide better supports for seniors living with dementia in the City's 10 long-term care homes by implementing measures inspired by care-based programs such as the Butterfly and Greenhouse Project models. Those models are emotion-centred service models of care for residents with dementia. The undertaking is to start with a pilot project at one site.

Toronto 311 review A motion calling for a review of response-time standards for Toronto 311 intake calls and emails from the public was adopted. The motion that Council supported specifies a series of actions to support improving service. Toronto 311 was established to help residents, businesses and visitors report issues and initiate necessary municipal work any time by phoning 311 or emailing 311@toronto.ca.

Appeals by dog owners Council decided to replace the City's current tribunal that hears appeals from dog owners who have received a Dangerous Dog Order from the City. The current tribunal of five City staff will be replaced early next year with a Dangerous Dog Review Tribunal that consists of public members appointed by Council.

Preserving Kensington Market Council voted to enact a bylaw for the Kensington Market Neighbourhood Heritage Conservation District Study Area for one year to prohibit the demolition or removalof any buildings or structures on identified commercial and mixed-use properties. Staff are working on a "made-in-Kensington" approach to a heritage conservation district plan for the neighbourhood, which is expected to take about a year to complete.

Future of City's Lancaster airplane Council approved the transfer of the City's FM104 Lancaster bomber to the British Columbia Aviation Museum for the vintage military airplane's continued restoration and public display there. The museum is to cover costs. The British-designed Avro Lancaster, one of the most famous bombers of the Second World War, has been in storage for many years.

Preserving heritage oak tree Council took steps to preserve a 250-year-old oak tree on private property in North York, authorizing staff to negotiate the acquisition of the property at 76 Coral Gable Dr. in North York, subject to a successful arboricultural assessment of the tree. At least 50 per cent of the cost will be funded from private donations.

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Volume 21 Issue 6Council Highlights, a summary of selected decisions made by Toronto City Council, is produced by Strategic Communications. Formal documentation of City Council decisions: http://www.toronto.ca/councilQuestions about Council meetings and decisions: clerk@toronto.ca or 416-392-8016 Information about distribution of this summary: stratcom@toronto.caPrevious editions: https://bit.ly/2EaDe5G

The City of Toronto and Toronto Public Library have named the five 2018 Toronto Book Awards shortlisted titles. Established by Toronto City Council in 1974, the awards honour books of literary merit that are evocative of Toronto.

Short list for the 2018 Toronto Book Awards:• Dionne Brand curated "The Unpublished City" published by BookThug• David Chariandy's "Brother" published by McClelland & Stewart• Carrianne Leung's "That Time I Loved You" published by Harper Collins• Lee Maracle's "My Conversations with Canadians" published by BookThug• Kerri Sakamoto's "Floating City" published by Knopf Canada

"Every year, The Toronto Book Awards highlights the diversity of prose and creative vision of our city’s writers," said Mayor John Tory. "This year's short list adds to Toronto’s deep and rich literary legacy and I congratulate all the nominees."

"This year, the Toronto Book Awards short-list has amazed me! Not only are these some of Toronto’s most engaging and relevant writers, they all come at their topics from such different points of view," said Vickery Bowles, City Librarian. "Not surprisingly, all of these writers have done events at the library in the last several months and this, too, is a sign that the public wants to hear and engage with these voices. What a great list for our city’s favorite literary awards."

The winner of the 2018 award will be announced on October 10 at an event at the Toronto Reference Library. Members of the public are welcome to attend the awards ceremony hosted by CBC Radio's Gill Deacon at the Bram and Bluma Appel Salon starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are free and will be available at http://www.tpl.ca/appelsalon/ in September.

Shortlisted authors are scheduled to read from their books at The Word On the Street book and magazine festival at Harbourfront Centre from noon to 5 p.m. on September 23. They will also participate in a reading and panel discussion at Malvern Library on October 3 at 7 p.m.

This is the 44th year of the Toronto Book Awards. The annual awards offer $15,000 in prize money. Each shortlisted finalist will receive $1,000, with $10,000 going to the winner. This year's Toronto Book Awards Committee is composed of volunteer members Nathan Adler, Susan G. Cole, Kevin Hardcastle, Soraya Peerbaye and Itah Sadu.

More information about the awards is available at http://www.toronto.ca/book_awards and on Twitter at @TOBookAwards and #tobookawards. The Toronto Star is the Toronto Book Awards' media sponsor. Toronto Public Library is the world's busiest urban public library system. Every year, more than 19 million people visit library branches in neighbourhoods across the city and borrow more than 33 million items. To learn more about Toronto Public Library, visit the website at http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/ or call Answerline at 416-393-7131. For all the latest buzz about the library, follow @torontolibrary on Twitter.

This news release is also available on the City's website: https://bit.ly/2Mg5YNt

Nine City of Toronto Shelter Sites to Receive Free Wi-Fi Thanks to Partnership with OnX and Cisco

August 3, 2018

Nine City of Toronto shelter sites to receive free Wi-Fi thanks to partnership with OnX and Cisco

The City of Toronto today announced a partnership with OnX and Cisco to bring free client Wi-Fi to nine City-run shelters and homelessness program sites. Through the partnership, clients at the shelters will be able to access free Wi-Fi 24 hours a day.

"This important initiative is part of the City's work to help provide greater inclusive access to services for those who need it the most. Free 24/7 Wi-Fi internet access on-site will allow clients to more easily communicate online and access the information and services they need," said Councillor Joe Mihevc (Ward 21 St Paul's), City of Toronto Poverty Advocate.

Many of the clients in the City's shelter and homelessness programs have access to a mobile device but do not have a data plan to access the internet. They rely heavily on free public Wi-Fi to access support, services and benefits, search and apply for jobs and housing opportunities, and stay connected with loved ones and social networks.

"In today’s world of rapidly changing technologies, access is everything. Yet those who are unable to share in ever-evolving information are at a disadvantage. It’s called the digital divide and the City is committed to preventing it from widening," said Councillor James Pasternak (Ward 10, York Centre), Chair of the Community Development and Recreation Committee.

“In tandem with our key partner Cisco, OnX is very proud to be part of this meaningful program that we believe will have a positive impact on the lives of clients at shelters in the city of Toronto,” said Paul Khawaja, President OnX Canada. “I am proud of the work we have done and grateful for the opportunity to further contribute to the community as a whole.”

The nine sites are Robertson House, Bellwood House, Women's Residence, Fort York Residence, Family Residence, Birkdale Residence, Birchmount Residence,Adelaide Resource Centre for Women and the Streets to Homes Assessment & Referral Centre. Robertson House, a shelter for women and children, will be the first location to receive free public client Wi-Fi.

Mayor John Tory met today with the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Border Security and Organized Crime Reduction, to discuss details about the Government of Canada’s response to the ongoing arrival of refugee/asylum claimants in the City of Toronto’s shelter system.

The City is currently facing a deadline of August 9 to relocate refugee/asylum claimants who are temporarily housed in Centennial and Humber College dormitories, as the colleges require the space for the upcoming school year. The City does not have the resources or the space to relocate this population to other locations within the City's shelter system.

To assist the City, the Government of Canada has provided the City of Toronto with an initial $11 million in federal funding to help offset the costs associated with the influx of refugee/asylum seekers. The Government of Canada has also booked hotel accommodation within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) for the refugee/asylum claimants currently housed in the two dormitories. The City of Toronto will cover the costs of transporting this population to new facilities. The Government of Canada has also responded to the City’s request to better manage inter-provincial flow of irregular migrants and coordinate the placement of new arrivals to other locations outside of the City of Toronto's shelter system, through the introduction of a new triage centre in Cornwall.

"Toronto has stepped up to help in any way we can, but there is a limit to what we can do on our own," said Mayor Tory. "The City thanks the federal government for this initial funding and their collaborative efforts to find housing for those living in Toronto college dormitories. We will continue to work with all levels of government, including our municipal partners, to establish a coordinated, regional response to the ongoing pressures of irregular migration."

At its peak, there were about 675 people in the two college dormitory programs. Outside the dormitory program, there are over 1,750 refugee/asylum claimants currently in the City of Toronto hotel program on a nightly basis. The City continues to see 15 to 20 new refugee/asylum claimants entering the system each day.

From November 2016 to date, the City has served a total of 5,315 unique refugee clients in the shelter system, and moved 2,636 refugee/asylum claimants from shelters into permanent housing during that time period, including 31 families from the dormitory program.

Over the coming months, the City will continue to proactively work with other orders of government, including other municipalities and community partners, to find appropriate shelter, accommodation and supports for refugees/asylum claimants.

A backgrounder on refugee/asylum claimant arrivals in Toronto is available at http://ow.ly/w58N30lfOi4.

The City of Toronto encourages residents and visitors to take advantage of the City's attractions and recreational sites open to enjoy during Simcoe Day on Monday, August 6.

Outdoor pools, beaches, wading pools and splash padsDrop by your local outdoor pool, swimming beach, splash pad or wading pool on Simcoe Day. Open swimming beaches are supervised between 11:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Indoor pools and community centres will be closed. More information about locations and hours of operation is available at http://www.toronto.ca/swim and http://www.toronto.ca/beaches.

GolfAll five City-run golf courses will be open and will offer holiday rates on Monday, August 6. Fling golf is now available at Dentonia and Tam O'Shanter. Fling golf can be played on a golf course, with a golf ball, alongside golfers, and is scored the same way as golf. Instead of hitting the ball with a golf club, players fling the ball with a fling stick. More information about hours and locations is available at http://www.toronto.ca/golf.

Tennis courtsAll public tennis court sites will have nets up and will be available for use throughout the weekend. Public sites are free and available to the general public. Tennis players are asked to share the courts by limiting their play time to half-hour intervals if others are waiting to use the courts. More information on tennis is available at http://www.toronto.ca/tennis.

Riverdale FarmRiverdale Farm is home to a variety of domestic farm animals, including Tamworth pigs, baby goats and Cotswold lambs. The breeds represent animals commonly found on a turn-of-the-century Ontario farm. Riverdale Farm is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks/zoo, by calling 311 or at http://www.riverdalefarmtoronto.ca.

High Park Zoo Toronto's oldest zoo has entertained people for over 120 years. The zoo houses domestic and exotic animals such as bison, llamas, highland cattle and reindeer. The zoo is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. Admission is free. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/parks/zoo/.

Toronto Island Park This popular summer destination features swimming beaches, restaurants, cafés, picnic spots, the Franklin Children's Garden, the William Meany Maze, a wading pool and bicycle rentals as well as canoe, kayak and pedal boat rentals from The Boat House. Ferry tickets can be purchased online at http://www.toronto.ca/ferry to save time

at the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal (located at the foot of Bay Street).

Visitors are encouraged to plan ahead to get the most out of their visit. Information about Toronto Island Park amenities is available at http://www.toronto.ca/islands.

ConservatoriesA variety of flowers are in full bloom at Allan Gardens Conservatory and Centennial Park Conservatory. Both conservatories are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. including Monday, August 6. Admission is free. More information is available at http://www.toronto.ca/conservatories or call Allan Gardens Conservatory at 416-392-7288 or Centennial Park Conservatory at 416-394-8543.Simcoe Day at Toronto's History Museums Two of the City's 10 Toronto History Museums will offer events, activities and tours on Simcoe Day. Programming highlights for the open sites are listed below. All of the Toronto History Museums will be open with many activities on the Saturday and Sunday of the long weekend. Times and activity details will vary by location. More information is available t http://www.toronto.ca/museum-events.

Fort York National Historic Site (250 Fort York Blvd.)Fort York celebrates Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe, who founded the town of York (Toronto) in 1793 and was the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (Ontario). The day's activities include musketry, artillery and music demonstrations by the Fort York Guard and Guards from Fort George National Historic Park from Niagara-on-the-Lake and Old Fort Erie. Visitors can also experience the working kitchen in the 1815 Officers' Brick Barracks, tour the Site's historic buildings and join the Métis Nation of Ontario Summer Youth Program for a Red River Jig workshop where participants will learn more about the unique fusion of traditional European step dancing and First Nations Pow Wow dancing. Admission is free. Fort York is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Spadina Museum (285 Spadina Rd.) The museum will be open and will host afternoon tours focused on the Austin family, who originally made Spadina Museum their home. Regular admission applies. Visitors can also explore the fascinating lives of women in 1920's Toronto and how their challenges and triumphs are reflected in the lives of the characters of the CBC drama Frankie Drake Mysteries. Check out props and costumes from the show, along with authentic 1920's artifacts. Admission to this exhibit is free. The museum is open from noon to 5 p.m.

Public transitTTC service will operate on a Sunday service schedule on Monday, August 6. More information is available at http://www.ttc.ca.

Other municipal facilities and servicesCity of Toronto emergency and 24-hour services will operate throughout the long weekend. City administrative offices and service counters, City-operated child care centres and Children's Services district offices will be closed on Monday, August 6. The City of Toronto Archives, located at 255 Spadina Rd., will also be closed on August 6.

Note: City bylaws prohibit members of the public from setting off or selling fireworks in City parks.

This news release is also available on the City's website: http://ow.ly/KvLz30lf34N.

City of Toronto Launches Two Speed Reduction Initiatives as Part of Vision Zero Road Safety Plan

August 2, 2018

City of Toronto launches two speed reduction initiatives as part of Vision Zero Road Safety Plan

The City of Toronto has launched two new City of Toronto Vision Zero road safety initiatives: the Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) pilot program and the mobile Watch Your Speed program, both aimed at keeping Toronto roads safe.

"The safety of our citizens is my number one priority and I am pleased to see our Vision Zero Road Safety Plan introduce new initiatives to reduce speed in our communities," said Mayor John Tory. "We all have a responsibility to keep people safe on Toronto’s roads, and excessive speed is a major contributor to deaths and injuries in Toronto."

The City of Toronto has issued a request for quotation to deploy Automated Speed Enforcement technology in School Zones and Community Safety Zones. The pilot program will run from September to December this year, with mobile ASE units deployed in different locations around the city.

The ASE units will be used to collect data to better understand the processing and administrative requirements of the enforcement program. Data will be collected from school zones located on local, collector and minor arterial roads. The ASE units will be used to collect the speeds and volume of vehicles. The data collected will also be used for educational and outreach purposes, aimed at protecting vulnerable road users, reducing excessive speed and making communities safer for everyone.

The Automated Speed Enforcement pilot project does not involve the issuance of tickets or charges to vehicle owners as the regulations necessary from the Province of Ontario have not yet been enacted. It is expected that the Automated Speed Enforcement program will be operational by the end of 2019.

In addition, beginning this week, the City's expanded mobile Watch Your Speed program will deploy mobile LED signs to each ward in the city. These mobile signs have built-in radar that will measure and display back to drivers the speed of oncoming traffic and they will be rotated to different locations in the ward on a monthly basis. While not used for enforcement purposes, these mobile signs have been shown to be effective at reducing excessive vehicular speeds.

"The Automated Speed Enforcement program and the mobile Watch Your Speed program are significant steps forward in the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan," said Councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chair of the City's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "We are committed to improving safety for all road users and these programs will serve as two key tools to curb aggressive driving behaviours in the city of Toronto."

The Vision Zero Road Safety program is focused on eliminating fatalities and reducing serious injuries, with an emphasis on pedestrian, school children, older adult, cyclist and motorcyclist safety and reducing aggressive and distracted driving. The City’s total five-year Vision Zero investment is $109 million.

More information about Toronto's Vision Zero program is available on the project website, which includes a mapping tool that shows existing safety measures and future planned work as well as safety tips for all road users aimed at making streets safer: http://www.toronto.ca/VisionZeroTO.

This news release is also available on the City's website: https://bit.ly/2Klfzxi

The City of Toronto has begun rolling out 53 new Senior Safety Zones across the city. The zones will be installed right now at locations identified as having a significant senior population and they are expected to be completed this fall.

Senior Safety Zones are part of the City’s $109-million, multi-faceted Vision Zero Road Safety Plan. The new zones include traffic safety measures designed to raise the visibility of seniors and give them extended crossing time to safely cross the street.

"We know seniors are particularly vulnerable when crossing the road and we must do everything we can to protect them and other pedestrians,” said Mayor John Tory. "I am committed to doing everything possible as quickly as possible to make our streets safer – that's why we accelerated the roll out of road safety measures, including Senior Safety Zones, this year."

The Senior Safety Zones will be retrofitted with new safety signs, enhanced pavement markings and extended traffic signal walk times. Further work will include detailed engineering reviews to consider additional safety measures that could include reduced crossing distances, traffic calming and designation as a community safety zone.

The 53 Senior Safety Zones will be in addition to the 12 locations installed last year.

"We're using a data-driven, comprehensive approach that focuses on the locations where improvements are most needed," said Councillor Jaye Robinson (Ward 25 Don Valley West), Chair of the City's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee. "Senior Safety Zones are one of many countermeasures in a multi-faceted plan that we are implementing to make our streets safer for the most vulnerable road users."

The Vision Zero Road Safety Plan, approved by Toronto City Council in 2016, is a bold pledge to improve safety across the city using a data-driven and targeted approach, focusing on locations where improvements are most needed to protect each community's most vulnerable road users – pedestrians, school children, older adults, motorcyclists and cyclists. City staff continue to work with stakeholders to come up with tailor-made solutions, using multiple approaches to modify Toronto's road network and to change behaviours to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries on Toronto's streets.

In 2017, the City took the following actions under the Vision Zero plan:• launched 20 school safety zones and 12 senior safety zones• installed almost 100 signalized intersections with longer pedestrian crossing times • added 74 new red-light cameras (current total: 149)• physically changed 28 intersections, including curb radius reductions and intersection re-alignments, to reduce the distance that pedestrians have to cross the road and to help reduce aggressive driving• installed 837 speed-limit signs along 39 corridors where speed limits have been reduced by 10 km per hour• installed approximately 20,000 km of pavement paint for zebra markings in School Safety Zones, Senior Safety Zones and pedestrian safety corridors, and • activated 60 accessible pedestrian signals to assist people to cross at signalized intersections.

In 2018, work is completed or currently underway on the following:• speed reduction through an automated enforcement pilot• speed reduction from 40 km to 30 km in approved neighbourhoods• Pedestrian Safety Corridors, including crossing improvements such as enhanced signage, signals and pavement markings• accelerating the School Safety Zone and Senior Safety Zone programs• begin implementing Community Safety Zones at 754 kindergarten to Grade 8 schools city-wide• providing at least one Mobile Watch Your Speed Sign for each ward• the Active and Safe Routes to School program pilot, which will include additional signage and pavement markings to facilitate safer routes to school and promote kids walking and biking to school• traffic calming to reduce speeds, including new flex post traffic calming signs and speed humps• Vision Zero town hall meetings and school safety forums in partnership with the Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Police Service, and• public education campaigns.

A list of the new Senior Safety Zone locations is available at https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/96f0-2018-List-of-Senior-Safety-Zones_June.pdf.

The City's Vision Zero Road Safety Plan website includes a mapping tool that shows existing safety measures and planned work as well as safety tips for all road users aimed at making streets safer: http://www.toronto.ca/VisionZeroTO.

This release is also available on the City's website: http://ow.ly/xSmF30ld0rb.